Lost in Romanian eyes

''Ai o hartă? Pentru că m-am pierdut în ochii tăi!''

Stephen The Great's Tower

I'm not sure what were my thoughts about Romania, if I would have to start writing them down at the beginning of this year. Eastern European country, a big one. So big, compared to mine, that we precept distances completely differently. All those scary Dracula stories I've heard as a kid, of course. And those other scary stories, I've heard as a grown up, of how Romania joined EU on the bypass, so Italy could get the cheap work force and then seeing columns of white vans passing back and forth.

But stories are just stories, and mostly turn out to be untrue.

During my these year's run arounds I got a chance to meet bunch of Romanian people. Open minded, fun and enthusiastic ones. Who told me about their country's hidden beauties, traditions and amazing cuisine. After spending some valuable time together, I realised they're some of my favorite companions and great partners in adventures. And finally I got the chance, to visit their country and see it trough my own eyes.

town hall

On my first day, that followed an arrival on red eye, I just took the fastest way from the capital to small city of Piatra Neamt in mountainous part of Moldovan region. Picturesque place charmed us with it's beautiful central part, but despite being tired, our first stop there became a bar with big screen, where we were able to see the end of the World cup match, in which England beat Sweden.

Settled in a charming motel on the other side of city's most famous hill, called ''little rock'', I was finally able to compliment myself with a proper sleep in big comfy bed after a very busy working week.

Cucuteni Neolithic art museum

Although we went there for more or less working project, organisers knew exactly how to turn it into a lot of fun.

It all started with discovering the city and it's historical part, where the most memorable part is definitely the 19 m high clock tower, that stands separately from the church in the middle of the square.

bells in Stephen's tower

Another must do that we got crossed from our check list was ride with the cable car to the top of the Cozla mountain. The uniquness in this is that the bottom station is not located at it's base, but rather on the whole other side of the city, so you got to float above the rooftops of important and privet houses, which actually seems like quit a futuristic experience. From the top we were able to enjoy the magnificent view over pretty much flat land on the one side, and great lake among the hills on the other.

view from Cozla mountain to Petricica mountain

Although it's not meant for swimming, we've spent two of our last afternoons at the lake, paddeling and kayaking under the beautiful sights of nature.

Bâtca Doamnei lake

To all this ad some really great company, and you just got yourself an amazing week.

After the project was finished, I headed with my friend to her home in Brasov. Travelling trough beautiful mountain parts from Moldova to Transilvania made the few hour bus journey almost inspiring. Brasov itself turned out to be yet another beautiful city.

old city centre of Brašov

From ruins of old wall, ornamented town houses and parks full of blossoms, to the narrowest street called 'rope' and other secret corners.

And my favourite part: the amazing home made traditional food, from delicious spread with fish eggs to amazing cream chorba with salad.

And since it's located only about an hour from Romanian most famous castle Bran, I got a chance to get that one of my bucket list as well.

I was lucky to pair myself with a couple of another excited tourists, with whom I got to discover this interesting medieval building, branched with towers, terraces and hidden passages.

I've reserved my last two days to discover around capital. I got myself an amazing deal of staying in an old villa near the main train station, where in house, looking like still caught in 19th century, I was given a whole room for myself.

To get some basic orientation, I joined the free walking tour, that took us to admire some of the most important historical sights in city, after which I headed to the palace of parliament.

The biggest, heaviest and most expensive building in the world certainly leaves you with a special impression at the first sight...or at least at the moment when you realise it's almost to big to be captured in single camera photo. But as one of my Romanian friends told me before, the country is pretty obssesed with the size, and that goes beyond distances.

The second impression happened when I entered the building. Expecting way more plain rooms, designed in communist style, I was blown away by the amount of details and marble we were able to see on every step of our visit. World's biggest carpet and chandelier. Heavy curtains decorated with amazing hand works. And my favorite part, that in this whole glory, the colours were left out to the mild and comforting tones in most of the rooms.

Our tour ended on the grand balcony overlooking Unirii bulevard, from which the king of pop, Michael Jackson, was the first person to wow the public.

On my second day in Bucharest and my last in Roamnia, I got a chance to meet with my friend, who took me to the park of king Mihai I at the north of the city. There we visited the National vilage museum, where life size houses from different regions are spread across the place. We also complimented ourselves with traditional lunch with a lot of polenta and some local wine.

Lately we rented a small rowing boat at Herăstrău lake and somehow, thanks to the stream and some strong wind (there were actually many people sailing), ended up in the middle of the lake and somehow, despite our lack of skills, manage to row our way around the small island and back to the harbour.

If my mind wasn't completely turned around before, I was by now certainly impressed by this country, by history it treasures, by amazing minds of it's people and system they developed.

"lackadaisical: to be carelessly lazy"

Made by Tanja, a runaway Londoner.

On the last day of 2016 I bought a one way ticket from home without any plan. All this months later I still have no clue where I'm going, but all the people and places that crossed my path along the way turned out to be the best memories of my life. Here are particles of my adventures after I stopped making plans and star buying plan(e) tickets.